ARC Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani ChokshiSeries: N/APublished by St. Martin’s Griffinon April 26, 2016Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, RomancePages: 352 : e-ARC editionSource: Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (via NetGalley)Add to Goodreads

Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds friendship and warmth.

But Akaran has its own secrets – thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran’s magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar’s plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk – it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.

Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.

THE STAR TOUCHED QUEEN is a lush, beautifully written and vividly imagined fantasy inspired by Indian mythology.

When I read this I felt like I was being transported to another world. Which honestly hasn’t happened too often, or even recently, so it was a refreshing read over all. Chokshi was able to weave together a story as enthralling as it was beautiful. Steeped in mythological references and deeply sated in Indian culture, I loved finally having a protagonist who was a really awesome woman of color and a story that felt true to its roots.

Maya, our main character seemed so real to me. She makes mistakes and see’s the error of her ways and isn’t this perfect cookie cutter type character where everything works out perfectly. She experiences joy, but there is also loss in her life and this helps her grows and defines her as a person and a ruler.

Amar *fans self* wow. Amar was interesting and intriguing, always being shown as this mysterious figure. By the end of the novel though I wish we could have gotten to know him a little better because I didn’t 100% connect with him (and the relationship felt underdeveloped).

I ultimately gave this 4 out of 5 stars because I think the writing needed a smidge of refinement since at times I wanted to be shown not told, but there are some really beautiful passages and imagery here that will make this one really memorable for me. I highly recommend pre-ordering this or picking it up once it comes out in a few weeks!